Football Hosts American International In 2010 Home Opener On Saturday

Seawolves have won last three home openers at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium

Stony Brook, N.Y. - Stony Brook hosts Division II American International College in the 2010 home opener Saturday at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium. Saturday's game is the second of three opponents from three different divisions to start the season for the Seawolves (South Florida - FBS, American International - Division II and Brown - FCS). Stony Brook has won three straight home openers and four of the last five. The Seawolves won all four home games last season and have not suffered a defeat at LaValle Stadium since November 1, 2008 when Gardner-Webb edged Stony Brook, 34-33. Playing their first FBS opponent in school history, the Seawolves fell to South Florida, 59-14. After junior Brock Jackolski forced a fumble and sophomore Rich Vitale fell on the ball, Stony Brook tied the game at seven when junior quarterback Michael Coulter hit Jackolski for a 27-yard touchdown. Sophomore Miguel Maysonet had 11 carries for 72 yards and junior Eddie Gowins totaled 54 yards on 16 carries. Junior Jordan Gush had four catches for 58 yards, including a 31-yard reception that set up Gowins' three-yard touchdown run as the Seawolves took a 14-7 lead. Senior captain Arin West led the Stony Brook defense with nine tackles. The Seawolves have signed to face three FBS opponents going forward (Buffalo - 2011, Army - 2012 and Boston College - 2013).

The Opponent

American International, a Northeast-10 school located in Springfield, Massachusetts, lost to C.W. Post, 20-11, on Saturday in its season opener. Roosevelt native Mike Mayo led the Yellow Jackets with 14 rushes and 83 yards. Rob Parent threw a touchdown pass in the fourth quarter to Andre Samuels. Allen Bush blocked an extra point and Nathaniel Ricks returned it all the way for the two points. Ryan Brooks added a field goal early in the game. American International has 12 players from Long Island on its roster. The Yellow Jackets were picked to finish fourth in the NE-10 preseason poll.

The Series

American International leads the all-time series, 2-1. Stony Brook rallied to defeat AIC, 23-22, on October 21, 1995 in the first meeting. The next two games took place in 1997 and 1998 as American International won 30-7 and 35-7.

Stony Brook takes positives from South Florida drubbing

By GREG LOGAN greg.logan@newsday.com

TAMPA, Fla. - Perspective is in the eye of the beholder. Stony Brook's football players must live with their 59-14 loss Saturday night at South Florida, the first BCS program the Seawolves have ever faced. But they also can take heart from jumping out to a stunning 14-7 lead against a respected Big East team.

The final score says something about the difference in talent, speed and size, but the opening segment showed the Seawolves weren't intimidated. As coach Chuck Priore said of the Bulls, "I think they were a little shocked early."

Sometimes the little guy gets off to a strong start and wakes up the sleeping giant. It happened in several similar matchups on college football's opening weekend, although only Jacksonville State managed to pull off the upset, at Ole Miss in overtime, 49-48.

If Priore had a regret, it was that the Seawolves made it too easy for the Bulls in the second quarter after South Florida took a 17-14 lead. The Bulls recovered a blocked punt in the end zone and hit a scoring pass with six seconds left in the first half for a 31-14 lead.

"I'd like to say that first half should have ended at 17-14, and we go in the locker room," Priore said. "I don't know what the outcome of the game would have been, but the mental part would have been a little bit better. We could have gotten out of there with a better score. But I'm really proud of how we competed."

Stony Brook quarterback Michael Coulter got off to a great start. His 31-yard pass to wideout Jordan Gush set up a 3-yard touchdown run by Eddie Gowins, and he hit running back Brock Jackolski on a 27-yard scoring pass for the 14-7 lead. But Coulter later threw four interceptions against a heavy rush, including one tipped ball that was returned for a touchdown and another that stopped a fourth-quarter drive at South Florida's 7-yard line.

"I think there was one bad interception," Priore said. "The other three probably were caused by the difference in talent level."

Jackolski thought the Seawolves handled themselves well. "It lets us know we can play," he said. "We just need to play smarter. Our effort definitely was there."

Coulter admitted he needs to do a better job of throwing the ball away, but there were positives to build on.

"We've got to stay positive, not worry about the scoreboard too much," he said. "It's a new season now. We might have gotten a little pounded and had a few injuries, but I think we learned a lot from playing at this high level against this speed and size. I think we'll benefit the rest of the year."

SBU president Stanley set to leap forward in sports

By GREG LOGAN greg.logan@newsday.com

TAMPA, Fla. - The setting for Stony Brook's first foray into competition with a BCS football school last night at Raymond James Stadium was way beyond the scope of anything the Seawolves had attempted previously in athletics.

Big East member South Florida plays in a stadium that houses the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers and that has hosted several Super Bowls, and the expected crowd of 35,000 could fill SBU's LaValle Stadium four times over.

But Stony Brook president Samuel L. Stanley, who delivered a pregame speech to a contingent of Seawolves supporters who made the trip, said it's within the realm of possibility that SBU can grow the athletic program to the major-college level.

A former biomedical researcher, Stanley leads a university that already stands shoulder to shoulder with the country's great research institutions. Ticking off the names of the University of North Carolina, University of Michigan, University of Washington, UCLA and Cal-Berkeley, Stanley said, "These are places that have very good Division I athletics. I don't see any reason why Stony Brook shouldn't aspire to the same thing.

"Do we have the kind of money or resources to do it right away? Of course not. But can we move gradually toward that goal? Absolutely, and I'm going to be very supportive of us trying to do that.''

Athletic director Jim Fiore has been very outspoken in expressing his vision of Stony Brook as a future Football Bowl Series-level school. That would mean expanding the stadium to at least 30,000 seats, which would require not only gaining financial support in the state legislature but also building fan support on Long Island for intercollegiate athletics at a place that, in the past, has seemed isolated and overlooked.

"I really share Jim's vision,'' Stanley said. "I think he's been doing it right. I'm very proud not only of our athletic teams but also their academic performance. Generally, we've been doing very well in terms of GPA for student-athletes. I think we're doing it the right way. We're not leaping into it, but we're building it very carefully. I'm excited about where we can go.''

Stanley said athletics can enhance the university's academic mission and provide a means of interfacing with the surrounding community the same as the medical center does. The increasing local support was evidenced by the number of fans who made the trip to Tampa, and it was clear when the Seawolves packed Stony Brook Arena for their NIT basketball game against Illinois last March.

The University of Buffalo, another SUNY school, already is competing on the FBS level and went to a bowl two seasons ago. "There's no reason why we can't do the same,'' Stanley said. "The [SUNY] system just wants a commitment to excellence. They want to make sure we're running the program correctly. As long as we're really responsible, they're generally going to be supportive.''

The current economic climate, Stanley acknowledged, makes it difficult to find the money Stony Brook needs to build the facilities necessary to grow the athletic program faster. But the school president's message to SBU fans Saturday was that the program is headed in the right direction.

"This is one of those milestones where you look and say, 'Here's another critical step for the program,' '' Stanley said. "Having our first BCS opponent and coming to a place like this and getting this kind of local enthusiasm is really an important step. We're not done. It's one of the steps along the way to where we want to be, but it's a great step. We're going to celebrate and enjoy no matter what the outcome of the game. We're going to have a great time.''

Stony Brook gets taste of big time in 59-14 loss (Newsday)

By GREG LOGAN greg.logan@newsday.com

SBU-USF PHOTO GALLERY

TAMPA, Fla. - Before Stony Brook's football team dipped its toe in deep BCS waters for the first time in school history, Seawolves coach Chuck Priore met with a raucous group of boosters who made the trip south for last night's game against South Florida at Raymond James Stadium. Priore told them he planned to take an aggressive approach against the Big East school.

"We're not going to take the punch,'' Priore said. "We're going to give the punch.''

The Seawolves forgot to duck on the Bulls' first offensive play of the game, a 59-yard touchdown pass from B.J. Daniels to Dontavia Bogan. But for a few blissful moments in the first quarter, it appeared the Seawolves had a puncher's chance. They converted two South Florida miscues into touchdowns on a 3-yard run by Eddie Gowins and a 27-yard pass from quarterback Michael Coulter to Hofstra transfer Brock Jackolski for a seven-point lead with 5:30 left in the first quarter.

Suddenly, it didn't seem difficult to imagine athletic director Jim Fiore's dreams of building a big-time football program coming true. But that pleasant reverie ended in a flurry of nervous rookie mistakes that fueled a 59-14 South Florida rout of the Seawolves in front of 40,201.

It brought to mind something else Priore told Stony Brook fans before the game. "I'm not a scoreboard-watcher,'' he said. "The score of the game is not indicative of our team's performance. We will represent Stony Brook correctly on the football field.''

The Seawolves certainly accomplished that much, but after losing eight defensive starters from last season's Big South co-champions, they were no match for the Bulls, who have gone to five straight bowls and wanted to impress in new coach Skip Holtz's debut. The Bulls forced four Coulter interceptions and recovered a blocked punt in the end zone for a touchdown. They led 31-14 at halftime and 52-14 after three quarters.

"I'd like to say the first half should have ended 17-14,'' Priore said. "The botched punt should have been a safety. But I'm proud of the way we competed.''

Priore had researched games matching schools from different levels and detected a pattern. "Most of these games are close for 11/2 quarters,'' he said. "You put a little scare into them and wake up the sleeping giant. They started blitzing more after we moved the ball.''

But oh, those first 10 minutes were sweet for Stony Brook.

Rich Vitale recovered a fumbled punt at South Florida's 35-yard line, and Coulter passed 31 yards to wideout Jordan Gush to set up Gowins' tying TD.

Then Bulls punter Justin Brockhaus-Gann dropped to one knee to field a low snap, turning the ball over at his own 27. On the first play, Jackolski slipped out of the backfield to get wide-open down the left sideline for the go-ahead TD pass from Coulter.

"It was an unbelievable feeling for playing a Big East team and we're up 14-7,'' Jackolski said. "Our fans were going crazy. Everyone was so excited.''

The Bulls might have been looking ahead to playing Florida on Saturday, but once the giant was aroused, the rest wasn't very much fun for Stony Brook, which lost starting cornerbacks Donald Portal (knee) and Al-Majid Hutchins (shoulder).

Coulter threw three of his interceptions in the second half, one of which was returned for a touchdown. The defense allowed Daniels to complete 15 of 22 passes for 264 yards and two touchdowns and run for another TD as South Florida totaled 563 yards of offense.

"It's up to us to stay positive,'' Coulter said, "and not look at the scoreboard.''

South Florida Rallies To Top Football, 59-14

Seawolves took a 14-7 lead in the first quarter

Tampa, Fla. - A crowd of over 40,000 fans at Raymond James Stadium saw Stony Brook's football team take a first-quarter lead, but South Florida scored the next 38 points and went on to win 59-14. Junior Edwin Gowins' (Bellport, N.Y.) led Stony Brook with 16 carries and 57 yards. Sophomore Jordan Gush (Richardson, Texas) caught four passes for 58 yards in the Seawolves first game against an FBS opponent.

"I thought we showed a lot of poise," head coach Chuck Priore said. "But we made a few mistakes and they capitalized. With an opponent like South Florida, you can't make too many mistakes. Overall, I'm really proud of how we competed. I think our guys represented Stony Brook well," Priore said.

Down 7-0 following a 59-yard TD pass from B.J. Daniels to Dontavia Bogan, Stony Brook punted on its second consecutive possession. But a forced fumble by junior Brock Jackolski (Shirley, N.Y.) and the recovery by sophomore Rich Vitale (Higganum, Conn.) set the Seawolves up with the ball on the USF 35. One play later, junior Michael Coulter (Yorba Linda, Calif.) hit Gush for a 31-yard reception, setting up Gowins' three-yard touchdown run. Coulter finished the evening 9-of-21 for 112 yards, but threw four interceptions.

After holding the Bulls to just five plays on their next possession, the Seawolves capitalized when Bulls' punter Justin Brockhaus-Kann's knee was down fielding the punt on the 27-yard line. On the next play, Coulter found Jackolski on a wheel route for the touchdown, giving the Seawolves a seven-point lead.

South Florida wasted no time on their next drive, going eight plays for 70 yards in four minutes, including a four-yard TD run by Daniels.
Coulter was intercepted on Stony Brook's next possession, but a 42-yard drive was stopped, resulting in a 37-yard field goal by Eric Schwartz, making it a 17-14 game.

Starting its drive deep in opposing territory, Stony Brook was forced to punt after a three and out. A bad snap and sophomore Drew Evangelista's (Cedar Grove, N.J.) blocked punt was recovered in the end zone by USF's Chris Lane, putting the Seawolves down 10.

South Florida forced Stony Brook to punt on its next possession and got ball back on SBU's 36. The Bulls drove all the way to the one-yard line, but with first and goal from the three, the Bulls were held scoreless as sophomore Kenny Tuiloma (Long Beach, Calif.) and senior captain Arin West (Toms River, N.J.) stopped Moise Plancher on fourth down.

Evangelista was forced to punt on SBU's next drive and his punt, from inside the 10, was a beauty. Mishandled by Jonny Sitton, the ball was fumbled all the way to their own 39. But South Florida went 61 yards in 1:30, capped by a touchdown reception from Joel Miller as the Bulls went up 31-14.

USF scored on two of its first three possessions to start the second half. A 33-yard interception from Mark Joyce gave the Bulls their biggest lead of the game to that point, 52-14.

The Seawolves recovered their second fumble of the game when junior Corey Stringer (Warren, Ohio) forced the ball loose from Bradley Battles and the ball was recovered by sophomore Dominick Reyes (Hesperia, Calif.).

Stony Brook opens its home part of the 2010 schedule against American International College on Saturday, September 11 at 6 p.m.

Notes: Gowins' touchdown was his 21st career rushing score, bringing him within one touchdown of second place all-time in Stony Brook history. Coulter's 27-yard touchdown pass to Jackolski was his 16th career passing touchdown, bringing him to within one TD of sixth place all-time in Stony Brook history. The announced attendance of 40,210 at Raymond James Stadium is the largest to witness a Stony Brook football game. The 14 points scored by Stony Brook is the most USF has given up to a FCS opponent since allowing 13 to Elon on Sept. 1, 2007. The 59 points allowed by Stony Brook is the most since giving up 62 to New Hampshire on Sept. 16, 2006.

Stony Brook athletic director Fiore has big plans

GREG LOGAN, Newsday

TAMPA, Fla. - First South Florida, and then the world of big-time college football. At least, that's the vision of Stony Brook AD (for "Advanced Dreamer'') Jim Fiore.
The Seawolves' first football game against a Division I-A school from a BCS conference Saturday night at Raymond James Stadium is the first big step up in Fiore's long-term plan to grow a major-college football program. It's a big deal for Stony Brook to take on South Florida, a Big East school that has gone to five straight bowl games and defeated such major powers as Florida State and West Virginia last season.
"I think it's OK to dream,'' said Fiore, who took over as SBU's athletic director in 2003. "Seven years ago, we were playing St. John's, Siena and Iona, and none of them has football anymore. Now we're playing UMass, South Florida, Boston College, Army. So who's to say that in 'X' amount of years we're not going to be lacing up and beating those institutions and maybe having them come ?''
Actually, Massachusetts of the Colonial Athletic Association does visit Stony Brook in three weeks. Road dates at Boston College and Army are on future Stony Brook schedules. "We're looking at playing two games per year against schools from higher levels starting next year,'' Fiore said.
Although SBU earlier this week announced an extension of its agreement to play football in the Big South Conference through the 2015 season, that really is a marriage of convenience. The Big South gave the Seawolves a place to play football while remaining in the America East for all other sports, and Stony Brook gave the Big South enough teams to gain an automatic berth in the Division I-AA playoffs.
But Fiore sees bigger things ahead for the Seawolves. In a sense, he wants athletics to catch up to academics at Stony Brook, which is a member of the American Association of Universities, and that means aligning SBU with other major research institutions.
"When the Big Ten started talking expansion, I think there were a lot of influential people in and around the Stony Brook campus who said, 'Wow, if we were 25 or 30 years down the road, what an opportunity that would have been,' '' Fiore said. "Put a I-A football team here, put a committed state athletic program here, and now the Big Ten is looking to expand and we're right there. I really believe that because academically, we're right there.''
Stony Brook in the Big Ten? That's a mind-bending stretch. But there's opportunity to evolve in the NCAA's changing athletic landscape.
Playing in the Big South makes no geographical sense. But what if East Coast schools such as Maine, New Hampshire, UMass, Fordham, Villanova, Delaware and possibly Towson, Albany and Central Connecticut got together with Stony Brook to form their own Football Championship Series (FCS) conference to take part in the I-AA playoffs?
"If a situation presented itself to be in a high-level conference and to be financially efficient with more conducive travel, that certainly would be of interest,'' Fiore said.
An eventual jump by Stony Brook to Division I-A would require LaValle Stadium expansion to a minimum of 30,000 seats, which might be a tough sell in an area dominated by professional teams. Fiore's challenge is building a fan base for intercollegiate athletics on Long Island and positioning the Seawolves for the future.
"My job is to set us up for the next 25 or 30 years, not for the next two years,'' Fiore said. "Where are we going to be when we look back in 2030? If you look 50 years from now, there's no doubt we're going to be there.''

Stony Brook WR Brevi injured, won't travel

www.tampabay.com

Former Armwood High School (Fla.) receiver Mat Brevi, a starter for Stony Brook, injured his knee in Wednesday's practice and will not be able to travel with the Seawolves for a homecoming game of sorts in Saturday's USF opener at Raymond James Stadium.

Brevi, whose 26 catches last season matched the most of any returning receiver, had 344 receiving yards and two touchdowns last season. Stony Brook's top receiver graduated, and another top receiver, Donald Porter, is now a starting cornerback. The Seawolves still have receiver Jordan Gush, who caught a team-best six touchdown catches last season.

Brevi nearly joined the Bulls out of Armwood, working out with USF players throughout the summer of 2006 as he tried to get admitted into school. He wasn't admitted that fall, or again for spring 2007 and wound up at Division II Fort Hays State before transferring to Stony Brook, where he is now a junior.

Stony Brook has a solid returning quarterback in Michael Coulter, whose 15 touchdown passes were the most in the Big South last season. He threw 10 interceptions, twice as many as the league low. The Seawolves' best offensive threat is running back Edwin Goins, who led the Big South with 89 rushing yards per game, averaging a league-best 6.1 yards per carry and scoring nine touchdowns.

Even without Brevi, Stony Brook has two other Armwood graduates coming home to Tampa this weekend -- kicker Wesley Skiffington and reserve linebacker Casey Callahan, the son of Armwood coach Sean Callahan.

Football Opens 2010 Season At South Florida On Saturday

Stony Brook, N.Y. -

Stony Brook begins its 27th season of college football Saturday when it faces the South Florida Bulls in the 2010 season opener at 7:00 p.m. It will Stony Brook's first game against an FBS opponent.

The game will be broadcast on WUSB 90.1 F.M., with Mike Solano (pbp), Curt Hylton (color) and Jeff Bernstein (sidelines)...pre-game show beginning at 6:45 p.m., GoSeawolves.org and www.wusb.fm will provide an audio stream of the game... SportsNet New York (SNY) will televise the game, with J.B. Long (pbp), Shaun King (color) and Victoria Lim (sidelines) providing all the action. Seawolves fans can find Saturday's game on Cablevision (channel 60), DIRECTV (639), DISH Network (438), Time Warner (26) and Verizon Fios (77). Fans also will have the opportunity to watch the game live on ESPN3.com. The game also can be heard on Sirius Satellite Radio channel 158.

South Florida head coach Skip Holtz is in his first season in Tampa after spending the last five seasons as head coach at East Carolina. The Bulls return 52 letterwinners from a team that went 8-5, 3-4 in Big East play last season. South Florida was picked to finish sixth by the Big East media.

Tom Koehler Named Southern League's Most Outstanding Pitcher

Stony Brook, N.Y. - Former Stony Brook University baseball star Tom Koehler '08 has been named the Southern League's Most Outstanding Pitcher, the league announced on Wednesday. Pitching for the Jacksonville Suns, the Double-A affiliate of the Florida Marlins, Koehler won 16 games to equal the Jacksonville franchise single-season wins mark.

The honor capped a terrific season for Koehler, who leads the Southern League in victories in addition to ranking third in ERA (2.71). Koehler has allowed just 139 hits in 152.2 innings and got the start in the Southern League All-Star Game. Koehler also ranks second in the league with 139 strikeouts.

Drafted by the Marlins in the 18th round of the 2008 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, Koehler was promoted to the Suns in April. Last season, he went 4-1 with a 3.38 ERA in six starts for the Jupiter Hammerheads of the Advanced-A Florida State League.

A two-time, All-America East second team selection, Koehler went 6-5 with a 4.15 ERA in 14 starts for the Seawolves as a senior. He also led the America East in innings pitched (93.1) and strikeouts (111) and ranked 19th in the nation with 10.71 strike outs per nine innings.

Koehler finished his four-year Stony Brook career second in program history in innings pitched (293.1) and third in strikeouts (297). The Seawolves have had 34 players sign professional contracts under head coach Matt Senk including 25 since the program jumped to Division I in 2000.

Schlesinger's Game Winner Lifts Men's Soccer Past Hofstra In Overtime, 1-0

Hempstead, N.Y. - Sophomore Kyle Schlesinger (Selden, N.Y.) scored the game-winning goal with just 51 seconds left in the first overtime to lead the Stony Brook men's soccer team to a 1-0 win over Long Island rival Hofstra in the season opener for both teams. Sophomore Stefan Manz (Bronx, N.Y.) made six saves, four in the second half, to keep Hofstra scoreless.

With just under a minute to play in the first overtime, Hofstra's free kick eventually was handled by senior Greg Tinari (Holbrook, N.Y.). Junior Wilber Bonilla (Brentwood, N.Y.) took the ball, creating a counter attack. Bonilla sent the ball to redshirt freshman Marc Godelman (Paramus, N.J), whose service into the box was put home by a streaking Schlesinger. It was Schlesinger's second goal of his career.

The Pride had the first five shots of the second half, but the Seawolves, who totaled 13 shots on Wednesday night, tallied eight in the second half.

Manz made two brilliant saves in the first half as a Seawolves defender deflected a ball off the post, but Manz made a diving save on Mike Annarumma's rebound. Stephan Barea, who scored against Stony Brook last season, also had an opportunity but Manz was there for the stop.

Freshman Glenn Whelan (Forest Hills, N.Y.) came off the bench and led all players with three shots. Stony Brook had nine corner kicks to Hofstra's two.

The Seawolves are back in action when they travel to Pennsylvania for the Lafayette Soccer Classic. They face the host Leopards on Friday at 5:00 pm.

Big South Conference Announces Four-Year Extension With Stony Brook In Football

Charlotte, N.C. - The Big South Conference Council of Chief Executive Officers has unanimously approved a four-year associate football membership extension with Stony Brook University, it was announced today by Big South Commissioner Kyle B. Kallander. Stony Brook first joined the League as a football member in 2008 and its membership will extend through the 2015 season.

"Stony Brook has been an outstanding football member for the Big South Conference," said Kallander. "They have strong leadership, are a class act, and obviously are very competitive. We are thrilled to extend our relationship with the Seawolves."

In just two seasons, Stony Brook has gone 8-3 in Big South play with one Conference Co-Championship in 2009 as well as a runner-up finish in 2008. The Seawolves are coached by fifth-year head coach Chuck Priore, who is 22-22 overall at Stony Brook and was the 2009 Big South Conference Coach of the Year.

"We are excited about continuing our relations with the Big South Conference," said Priore. "During the past two years, I've been privileged to work with quality coaches and student-athletes from the various schools."

"Stony Brook is excited and honored to continue our relationship with the Big South Conference," added Jim Fiore, Stony Brook Director of Athletics. "We have a tremendous amount of respect for the administrators, coaches and student-athletes who represent the conference. I continue to be impressed by their commitment to succeed at the highest level of FCS football and look forward to competing with our colleagues for the automatic bid to the NCAA tournament."

Stony Brook, which opens the 2010 season at South Florida on Saturday evening, was picked to finish second in the preseason poll.

BASKETBALL SEASON TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

Stony Brook, N.Y. - Season tickets for 2010-11 Stony Brook University men's and women's basketball are now on sale. Full season ticket plans are available, giving Seawolves fans the opportunity to see their hometown team in action at historic and intimate Pritchard Gymnasium.

Coming off the best season in its 11-year Division I history, the men's team will play 13 home games. Head coach Steve Pikiell will lead the Seawolves into action against an exciting non-conference schedule including a match-up against Patriot League champion Lehigh on Dec. 1. The defending America East regular season championships will also face off against a challenging eight-game America East schedule, which will be announced at a later date.

The Seawolves set Division I program records for overall wins (22) and conference wins (13) in 2009-10 and won 10 straight games to clinch the America East regular season crown. Under the guidance of Pikiell, who was selected as the America East Conference Coach of the Year, the Seawolves also earned their first ever Division I postseason berth, hosting the University of Illinois in the first round of the 2010 National Invitation Tournament in front of the largest crowd in program history.

Head coach Michele Cherry and Stony Brook's women's team will also play 13 home contests including its home opener against Hofstra (Nov. 18) and a match-up with Iona on Dec. 5. Both teams advanced to the postseason last year. Stony Brook advanced to the America East semifinals last season for the first time since 2006 and return 10 letter-winners including senior Kirsten Jeter (Elmont, N.Y), a 2009 All-America East second team selection.

Please note that ALL Season ticket packages are now open to the general public and can be purchased at the Stony Brook University ticket office, by phone at 631-632-WOLF or online at www.goseawolves.org.

The athletic ticket office is open from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Tuesday through Friday and is located in the Stony Brook Arena lobby. Fans can also reach the ticket office by e-mail at SeawolvesTickets@StonyBrook.edu.
Individual game tickets will go on sale on Oct. 1.

2010-11 Men's Basketball Season Ticket Prices
VIP Seatback - $375
VIP Reserved - $375
*(VIP Package includes ticket, parking as well as food & beverage one hour prior to game and at halftime courtesy of Fratelli's Market Place.)
Seatback - $145
Reserved - $120


2010-11 Women's Basketball Season Ticket Prices
Courtside - $130
General Admission - $65

Stony Brook University Men's Basketball Adds Anthony Mayo

Seawolves open 2010-11 season on Nov. 12 at Connecticut.

Stony Brook, N.Y. - Stony Brook University men's basketball head coach Steve Pikiell has announced that Anthony Mayo (Philadelphia, Pa.) has signed a grant-in-aid agreement to play for the Seawolves, beginning in the fall of 2010. Mayo joins a 2010-11 recruiting class which already includes guards Dave Coley (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and Anthony Jackson (Columbus, Ohio) and forward Al Rapier (Chicago, Ill.).

"I couldn't be happier to welcome Anthony to the Stony Brook family," Pikiell said. "He will give us a great inside presence; he is an outstanding rebounder and shot-blocker and can score in the post. He also played for a fantastic high school coach [Chris McNesby], who has prepared him to contribute for us immediately. But more importantly, he is a quality student-athlete that will be an excellent representative of Stony Brook University."

A 6'9, 210 pound forward/center, Mayo played for McNesby at storied Roman Catholic High School in Philadelphia and was named a co-captain as a senior. A 2010 honorable mention All-Catholic league selection by the Philadelphia Daily News, Mayo averaged 10 points, six rebounds and three blocks per game and led Roman to the PIAA Class AAAA quarterfinals. He was ranked among the top 100 centers in the nation by ESPN.com and was the 35th ranked player in Philadelphia by PhillyHoops.net.

"Anthony's size is his greatest asset," McNesby said. "He is an outstanding rebounder and shot-blocker with great basketball IQ. He really believes in the Stony Brook coaching staff and their ability to help him grow as a player and a person."

Mayo joins Coley and Rapier, who each signed with the Seawolves last fall, and Jackson, who signed in the spring. A 6-2 combo guard, Coley was a four-year starter for head coach Lawrence Pollard at Thomas Jefferson High School in Brooklyn. A captain for Jefferson last season, he led the Orange Wave to the PSAL Class AA quarterfinals.

Coley averaged 16 points and five rebounds per game and was named to the 2010 All-Brooklyn second team by the New York Post. He was also selected to play in the Jordan Brand Classic Regional Game and scored 20 points.

A 5'11, 180 pound point guard, Jackson played for head coach Tony Staib at Gahanna Lincoln High School in Columbus, Ohio. A first-team Ohio Capital Conference selection, Jackson led Lincoln to a 26-1 record and the school's first ever appearance in the state semi-finals.

He had 12 points in Lincoln's 71-45 win over Northland, the top-ranked team in the country and scored 23 in the state semifinal game against Massillon Jackson. An honorable mention all-state selection as a senior, Jackson averaged 15 points, five rebounds and 3.5 assists per game and set a school record for three-point field goal percentage (.530).

Rapier played for powerhouse Mineral Area College and head coach Corey Tate for the past two seasons. As a sophomore, Rapier was a first team all-conference selection as he helped Mineral Area, located in Park Hills, Mo., to the MCCAC Conference Championship and a spot in the Region XVI semifinals.

An all-state and all-conference selection as a senior at Perspectives Charter Academy in Chicago, Rapier averaged 18 points, 17 rebounds, and six assists per game. The versatile 6-7 forward was also selected as the #1 player in the Blue West Conference by the Chicago Tribune.

Women's Basketball Releases 2010-11 Non-Conference Schedule

Stony Brook, N.Y. - Five home games, including two contests against opponents that advanced to the postseason last year, highlight Stony Brook University's women's basketball 2010-11 non-conference schedule, released by head coach Michele Cherry on Tuesday. The 12-game schedule features games against four teams that won 18 or more games last season.

"I'm very excited about our non-conference schedule for the upcoming season," said Cherry. "Overall, our schedule will be arduous, yet, one that I feel will help prepare us for an always difficult America East Conference."

The Seawolves kick off the season at the Phoenix Classic in Elon, N.C., facing off against Troy on Friday, Nov. 12 before taking on Atlantic 10 opponent Fordham on Saturday. SBU will then play five consecutive home games over the next two- and-a-half weeks beginning with a contest against Long Island rival Hofstra on Nov. 18. The Pride won 20 games a season ago and advanced to the WNIT.

Following a game against Nicholls State on Nov. 24, the Seawolves will welcome Monmouth to Pritchard Gymnasium (Nov. 30). Stony Brook will then take on Fairleigh Dickinson on Dec. 2 before closing the homestand against the Iona Gaels on Dec. 5. Iona also advanced to the WNIT a season ago.

SBU returns to the road on Dec. 9, traveling to Virginia for its first ever match-up with George Mason. Following a trip to the nation's capital for a matchup with the Colonials of George Washington (Dec. 11), the Seawolves head to Brooklyn to take on Long Island (Dec.19). The Blackbirds went 22-10 in 2009-10 and advanced to the Northeast Conference championship game.

Stony Brook then returns to Virginia to take on CAA power Old Dominion (Dec. 21) before wrapping up the non-conference slate with a New Year's Eve game against St. Francis (N.Y.). The Seawolves advanced to the America East semifinals last season for the first time since 2006 and return 10 letter-winners including senior Kirsten Jeter (Elmont, N.Y), a 2009 All-America East second team selection.